Facebook Graph Search leaks for mobile

What’s more important for search, Google or Facebook? While that sounds like a silly question, it may not be so cut and dry. Facebook has incredible engagement, and they’re making a push for more content on Facebook from websites. Considering the amount of content you’re likely to find via Facebook, the new ‘Graph Search’ coming to mobile is interesting.

Graph Search is Facebook’s semantic search engine which allows you to query some pretty specific topics. As a result, you’ll get some detailed results. Ask which of your friends have been to a restaurant you’re visiting, and it just might show you check-ins from your pals at that very spot. The search algorithm uses natural language rather than simple hot-words to give results you want, so you don't have to re-learn search engine speak.

Developed by two former Googlers now at Facebook, Graph Search could be a disruptive force. It’s currently in testing, and a mobile version seems to signify it’s to be rolled out wider than expected. Leaked via Twitter, one user is noting it’s alive and well in his Facebook mobile app. It seems to be iOS-only for now, and limited to English-speaking users, but it does raise some interesting questions.

If this all sounds far fetched and trite, remember that Google is doing something similar with their own search. They’ve worked to add results from your Google+ circles into search queries, bringing a personal feel to web results. Facebook’s approach is similar, but flipped; they take Facebook results and mix in Bing search to round out the query. Which is better? Time will tell, but for now, it’s going to be interesting to see how Facebook leverages their results versus Google.